Elk Tooth Traverse
Date: September 25, 2022
Route: From the Allenspark Trailhead
Distance: 19.5 miles
Vertical: 5,455 feet
Time: 12 hours 10 minutes
Partners: Solo
My GPS track.
![elktooth 1](./elktooth.jpeg)
Finch Lake
![elktooth 1](./IMG_0761.jpeg)
Pear Lake with the Elk Tooth east ridge visible behind.
![elktooth 2](./IMG_0762.jpeg)
Lower Hutcheson Lake.
![elktooth 3](./IMG_0766.jpeg)
Middle Hutcheson Lake.
![elktooth 4](./IMG_0767.jpeg)
Last good water source before the high traverse.
![elktooth 5](./IMG_0768.jpeg)
Looking south after gaining the east ridge.
![elktooth 6](./IMG_0771.jpeg)
Large stable talus on the first part of the traverse.
![elktooth 7](./IMG_0772.jpeg)
Looking back down at Lower Hutcheson and Pear Lakes.
![elktooth 8](./IMG_0774.jpeg)
First good view of the Elk Tooth summit with one of the St. Vrain Glaciers
in the background.
![elktooth 9](./IMG_0776.jpeg)
First there is a false summit to work around.
![elktooth 10](./IMG_0777.jpeg)
Final ridge section.
![elktooth 11](./IMG_0778.jpeg)
Cony Lake.
![elktooth 12](./IMG_0783.jpeg)
Ogalalla Peak is the next objective.
![elktooth 13](./IMG_0785.jpeg)
On the descent.
![elktooth 14](./IMG_0787.jpeg)
Approaching the col.
![elktooth 15](./IMG_0789.jpeg)
Looking back at Elk Tooth.
![elktooth 18](./IMG_0794.jpeg)
Looking southeast.
![elktooth 19](./IMG_0796.jpeg)
Looking north.
![elktooth 20](./IMG_0797.jpeg)
Working along the ridge.
![elktooth 21](./IMG_0801.jpeg)
Slab below the summit.
![elktooth 22](./IMG_0803.jpeg)
Top of the slab.
![elktooth 23](./IMG_0806.jpeg)
Ogalalla summit, looking back at Elk Tooth with the Hutcheson Lakes below.
![elktooth 24](./IMG_0807.jpeg)
Coney Lake.
![elktooth 25](./IMG_0812.jpeg)
Descent off the peak to the north is surprisingly easy.
![elktooth 26](./IMG_0813.jpeg)
Junco Lake from near Cony pass.
![elktooth 27](./IMG_0815.jpeg)
Alien obelisk in the talus.
![elktooth 28](./IMG_0816.jpeg)
From the summit of Ouzel Peak, looking back at the easy part of the traverse.
Ogalalla and Elk Tooth still visible.
![elktooth 29](./IMG_0818.jpeg)
The descent route with Pipit and Bluebird Lakes below.
![elktooth 31](./IMG_0822.jpeg)
Back to a water source.
![elktooth 32](./IMG_0823.jpeg)
Bluebird Lake.
![elktooth 33](./IMG_0824.jpeg)